The reputation of being the Garden City has long gone. Today, the sobriquet just doesn’t match up. The reasons are varied. While good infrastructure is a boon for every big city, unfortunately in Bengaluru’s case, it has led to a loss of green cover that the city was once known for.
The most recent addition to this ever growing infrastructure is the Namma Metro. In an effort to make the city greener, The Bengaluru Metro Rail is looking to rope in art institutions to install vertical gardens on over 96 metro pillars. This is their way of giving back to the city and doing their bit to promote the garden city.
Soubhagya Mukhopadhyay, an advertising professional, feels that this is a responsibility which all Bengalureans must collectively partake in. He says, “In terms of keeping up with the ‘Garden City’ image of the IT capital; no initiatives have been taken by the civic bodies. So, what the Metro is doing to restore the city’s reputation is a really good effort. I feel that it’s important for people to take action themselves rather than wait for civic bodies to do their bit. We need to work at the micro level, if we wish to revive the charm and reputation of the city.”
Nidhi Agarwal, an entrepreneur, says, “I think it’s a good move and anything that helps reduce pollution in Bengaluru, and provides better air quality in the city, should be welcomed. I think they should utilise every nook and corner left in the city to grow plants and trees.”
City-based physiotherapist, Leena Priyadharshini applauds this as a very sensible initiative to promote the city. She says, “The metro rail has brought about a huge change in the public transport system by being accessible to various strata of the city. Hence, this initiative is a very important and sensible way to convey the message about the importance of greenery and its preservation. Being called the Garden City would not just be a mere title if all of us would take a step in this direction.”
Social acctivist Sandeep Aikyam says, “If this is an attempt to make the city greener, then it is a worthwhile effort. I feel whatever they do should be sustainable in nature. A lot of spaces under the metro bridges are lying idle. Those should be utilised as live gardens. A lot of small shrubs, flowering plants and small trees can be planted here that don’t necessarily need a lot of sunlight.
The already existing vertical gardens are high maintenance. I think they should opt for creeper plants as the latter is low cost and low maintenance.” Suggestions aside, let’s applaud this proactive measure taken by Namma metro.
